I use a canon digital rebel with 28-128mmIS lens and my longest lens is a 75-300mm.

I need a tripod and head that will allow me to take action pictures (birds in flight for example) and still pictures. I have looked through the forum and think I have decided on:

Bogen/Manfrotto 3021pro legs and

Bogen/Manfrotto 488RC2 head

My question is about the RC2 QR system. Do the RC2 plates attach well to the camera so the camera does not slip when in a vertical orientation? (I currently have a cheap circuit city tripod that has a square QR plate that allows the camera to slip).

Also, can the 3021prolegs be placed in water without any problems?

Anddo the 3021pro legs do well both on hard and soft surfaces such as pavement and grass?

And the last question, how do most of you carry your tripods with you when taking pictures at say a zoo where you have to do a lot of walking?

The 488 will have no problem holding you camera an lens in any orientation, and the RC2 plate holds well. The RC2 plates that I have are topped with a grippy rubber mat that prevents marring the camera base and acts to keep the camera from moving with out the need for excessive torque on the screw.

I personaly would try to avoid letting water get up to the telescoping joint. The rubber foot seems to be bonded on the lower leg section pretty tightly so I doubt that water can find its way into the leg section (again, so long as you don't submerse any of the telescope joints. Be sure to thoroughly dry the leg off befor collapsing the tripod.

The 3001pro comes with a plane hard rubber foot that works well on pavement/ floors/ grass.

As you probably know, the main reason for the weight difference is in the diameter of the leg sections. The 3021 has larger diameter legs (makes it stronger for load bearing) and as a consequence it is heavier.

All of the usage features such as; positions/ articulations/ adjustments are the same. The snap-locks on the legs of the 3021 are more aggressive in so far as attempting to take a bite out ot your hand than the locks on the 3001, but that should not be a factor in your decision matrix.

The 3001BPro has a spirit level, I don't remember if the 3021BPro has one also. (?)